Are you liable the first time your dog bites someone in Virginia?
Serving as a personal injury attorney on cases involving dog bites can sometimes leave people thinking that perhaps I’m not a “dog” person. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our family has rescued 2 dogs ourselves and one, Maybelle, has become a member of our family, almost like a 4th child! We love dogs. That’s why we try to educate dog owners on their duties to properly control their dog, so no one gets hurt and the police don’t have to come and take the dog away. It’s often said that Virginia law follows the “one-bite rule”, suggesting that a dog owner isn’t liable the first time hisa dog bites someone. In other words, the dog gets a “free bite”, so to speak. But this is not really an accurate description of Virginia law. Evidence of prior aggressive behavior can be enough to prove liability, even without a prior bite. Your Responsibility as a [...]
